Domestic solution

NOW that our economy has been led blindly to the brink of despair, the unprecedented circumstances in which we find ourselves require a huge measure of leadership and foresight.

The threat to our corporate tax regime remains and emerging economies such as India and China can provide equally well-educated and more cost-effective workforces.

Now more than ever before greater focus must be directed towards developing indigenous industries over which we have greater control. There is real, long-term growth potential in industries such as food, tourism and sustainable energy.

One only has to consider the international success of Kerry Group, a natural landscape that offers an ideal opportunity for the development of eco-tourism and is home to a culture and antiquity predating the Pyramids, and an environment that affords us options for wind and wave energy and natural gas.

While some may feel shame that we have been reduced to accepting a financial bailout, the greater shame is we have not utilised our natural resources and in many cases we have bartered them for questionable gain.

It’s high time we got up off our knees and put away the begging bowl.

Ide O’Neill

Careystown Meadows

Whitegate

Co Cork